4th FW breaks ground for support center

This image is an artist's rendering of the new $9.5 million Consolidated Support Center.

A Wednesday ceremony on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base was about much more than turning some soil.

It might have been a simple "groundbreaking," but for those who will operate out of the 4th Fighter Wing's new Consolidated Support Center -- a $9.5 million facility scheduled to open next summer -- the event marked the next step toward a safer, more efficient workplace.

4th Mission Support Group Commander Col. William Thomas said the project has been in the planning stages for more than a decade -- that a joint effort between base leadership and advocates outside the gates ultimately made it a reality.

And construction of the building, he added, is imperative, as those nine facilities it stands to replace are nearly 50 years old.

Once construction is complete, the 43,500-square-foot building, to be located on Andrews Avenue, will house the wing's Comptroller Squadron, Contracting Squadron, Force Support Squadron, Legal Service office and Mission Support Group Headquarters -- currently, personnel from those units are scattered across nine buildings on base.

Thomas said consolidating those services into a central location will create a "one-stop shop" for airmen and their families, saving both time and money.

"Our sights, in putting this together, have always been on our airmen and their families," he said. "To improve their work environment and make supporting our airmen a more efficient and productive experience."

Funding for the project came via Congressional insert and the contract was awarded to Duke Construction Co. LP, of Morrisville, last October by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Savannah District.